fb flashback from 27 September 2012

Curiouser and curiouser.

I have no idea why the Book of Face chose to show me this "Memory" a day early.

Perhaps the Universe knows tomorrow will be busy for me and didn't want me to miss this sweet post that JinHi made with this photo of me from 13 years ago.

"This is my beautiful friend Tina Smith! If ya recognize her, you must be an actor, singer, musician, community organizer, local business owner, or student, and SHE HAS BEEN THERE, tirelessly SUPPORTING YOU and always having a wonderful time at it! THIS IS HER CAUSE. Toss in a little love, kids! You can donate $1's worth of love and it would be as appreciated as a hundred. LIGHT THE NIGHT WALK: LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA."

Even more curious: that link is still active for my fundraising page.

She had donated a very generous $50 for that walk.

I am so fortunate to still have her in my life!

She has battled cancer, participating in every new-drug trial as they arise, for over a decade for her small-cell lung cancer.

She truly takes science to heart.

So many will have her to thank for the drug that puts their lung cancer into remission.

Yes, the world is definitely a better place because of JinHi Soucy Rand.

neighing away!!!

Because of the pain in my right leg, I've been sleeping oddly.

See, I prefer to sleep on my right side, and that has become an issue with my sore hamstring and hip.

What did I do to cause that?

Beats me.

Acetaminophen helps - which is good, as that's the only pain reliever I'm allowed while on Eliquis - but it gets 'all used up' in less than seven hours.

That means I'm up at crazy times to take another so I can finish sleeping.

Thankfully, this time I was able to catch "Bill and Teddy's Adventure"!

 

Hahahaha!

That's my name for this scene!

Nice pun on one of my favorite history movies! 

Teddy Roosevelt had challenged Bill to a Hobby-Horsin' Hootenanny and it was ON!

That's Bill on the left, with his steed, 'Broomstick'. 

Teddy, astride 'Little Texas', had to split the win of the first two jumping contests, but they managed to beat out the competition in the third round.

Very funny!!!

By the time that was done, and I'd watched two cartoons that featured hobby horses, the pill had kicked in.

i thank You, God, 

for this bit of merriment!

Now, I'm awake again and well-rested, and ready to head off to Suds for laundry.

I'm even tackling the double load of bed linen this time.

Why a double instead of a single?

Well, that's 'cause I've been slack.

I've had a fitted sheet and a flat sheet left over from a few months back when I didn't want to be bothered with folding sheets.

Silly me!

Hooray for quadruple loader machines and 25% off Wednesdays!

thanks, boston scientific

Yesterday was the final day of the study prescribed by Dr. Cobb. 

I had expected that it would end in the afternoon, so I was prepared to ship it all off with UPS after being with Dawn.

Nope!

The heart monitor's phone gave me that message about 8 AM.

Sweet!

I went back to sleep for another hour.

Then I watched "Drew Barrymore", whose guest made 'pierogi pasta' using ground beef, onions, and diced potatoes with regular pasta.

I had onion pierogi, so breakfast was this!

Then to check the WSAV weather song.

For the Fall Equinox, temperatures would be mild, but a return to summer heat was coming up fast.

That meant I needed to break out the Ryobi at least once more.

Drats.

Oh, but here's a funny thought I had!

Some random guy came by a couple of days ago, asking if he could cut the grass.

The next time that happens, I'm going to smile real big and give him a hearty handshake as I thank him for that gracious gift of taking care of that for me!!!

I wonder if the guy might be embarrassed to ask for money after that?

LOL! 

Anyway, after the weather check, I popped the heart monitor and all its paraphernalia into the pre-addressed, postage-paid box, dropping it off at my favorite UPS.

Then to take in "The Long Walk".

Yikes... what a hard movie to sit through.

Maybe I'll have to abstain from Stephen King movies in the future.

Not that it wasn't well made... it was just incredibly brutal.

Ugh.

I decided to go to Planet Fitness to work off some of that sadness.

I'd finally returned to the Purple Planet of Victory last Saturday, kinda sorta starting a reboot of that part of my year.

I also used the hip abductor to try to stretch out my hamstrings.

My right leg has been a problem all month.

After I was done with the machine and treadmill, I still had energy - and daylight - on my side.

Time to tackle the front yard, armed with a fully-charged Ryobi!

I know this photo doesn't show my progress very well, but progress I made!

I got most of this half of the front yard mowed, as well as a good portion on the left side of the frame.

I'll try to catch the rest in the next day or two.

Now, time for an evening of relaxation!

The two Janes are on tonight, and they'll be a nice distraction from the echo of carbines in the movie earlier. 

screwdriver time!

Halloween is coming up, 

as is the 15th Annual BYOP 

of Georgetown! 

Know what that means???

 

It's AA and AAA time!!!

 

Yep, that's right!

It's high time 

for all the little ghouls 

to get fresh batteries - 

and maybe a good thump 

on their backsides - 

to bring them back to life again!

 

This mariachi skeleton 

is one of my favorites.

 

His batteries go 

into his shoes, 

lending him a bit of 

extra stability 

for his antics.

That's physics, baby!

Weird science in action!!

 

Now, he can sing

and dance

as he flashes his eyes

at all the ladies!

 

And all I needed

to help make him mobile again were new batteries and two tools:

my hands and my Philips-head screwdriver.

 

Yes, this year I brought my own screwdriver to this party!

As I told Dawn and the Koz, mine has a better handle that fits my hand perfectly, making the task proceed much faster and easier.

Dawn and I had at least half of her motley crew installed with fresh life within the first hour of operation... and that included pulling them out of the six storage bins!

Impressive, right?

Then we took a water break and the Koz took a break with us!

He even brought out a book he's made with all the fossils he's collected at Tybee.

Yes, indeed, fossils of sloths and megalodons as well as several types of common sharks and local fish and other marine life.

Then, he let me visit his "Death Room" which holds the actual physical specimens he's collected over the years - wow!!!

I've been invited to come out on the boat for one of these forays.

Very cool!!!

Afterward, Dawn and I finished up the ghouls in another hour.

Then it was fish - and turtle! - feeding time with Susan and Terry on their deck by the lake out back.

What a lovely way to spend the day!

Right place, right time!

 

How did I know for sure?

AARP's "Right Again!" trivia had an index fossil as the puzzle beneath the clues.

Wow!

3rd new year of 2025 - hooray!

"The third new year? Oh, that's right, you started 2025 over again after Ezra whited everything out for a week. So, which country's new year is this one?"

Not a country, but a culture. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins sundown on Monday, 22 September. Tonight, we celebrated the Eve of New Year's Eve! We had to celebrate a night early because Sandy always spends Sunday with her mom and stepdad.

"Family time is very important in this ten-day string of High Holy Days. My guess is they won't be going out to Music Bingo on Monday."

That's right, so I will be free to do whatever that evening. I do wonder if the following Monday might also be available for me to have alternate activities? I'll have to check and see. I really don't see any purpose in going on my own, as I have no smart phone to look up the song titles.

"Sure, I get that. So, what did you and Sandy do tonight?"

Oh, it wasn't just me and her! We went to several different places, with the J. Crew dropping in number as we traveled. We started off at Sushi Hana, the new place on Abercorn where B&D Burgers used to be. I guess neither of the sons it's named for wanted to take over.

"Yes, that has happened a lot around this seaport in the last few years."

We seven completely enjoyed ourselves at this new place! That first photo is of the painting that faces the sushi bar. I love it!!! Such a Japanese classic! You know, I have a magnet of "The Great Wave Off Kanagawa". So gorgeous to see it taking up an entire wall!

"It does have fabulous coloring and curves! I bet that was nice to look at during the meal, too."

Oh, we couldn't see it, but the chefs could. I spotted it while returning from the bathroom. Stopped me in my tracks, it did!

"I know it did! So, you mentioned there were seven of you?"

That's right! Sandy, Elissa, Marcia, the regulars for our Monday nights. Then we had Kathy, Devora, and Joel, as the lone male. Plus me! We all had something different for dinner, too! Several of us had sushi rolls. That photo is of my Hana House Roll, consisting of spicy crabmeat and avocado, topped with tuna, salmon, miso sauce, spicy mayo, and toasted onions. It was delicious! I even ate part of the orchid! That led to others eating their flowers, too! Maybe I'll see some of them at the Wicked Wednesday Film Fest or the Fall Family Fun Fest. I made sure to pass out those movie listings to everyone there.

"What a great idea!"

Right?! I had just enough that all of them got the mini-posters of each. I hadn't realized that Joel was such a fan of scary movies. We got to talking about "Sinners" and I expect to see him at NCG in two weeks. That would be great! Oh, and Kathy likes plays and she's going to join me in two weeks for the new one with Savannah Children's Theatre! We talked about their bid to take over the Star Castle, too, and what a perfect site that will be. The fundraiser is already two-thirds of the way to their goal!

"I do hope they succeed! It's certainly boding well! Okay, back on track, dear. What was next after dinner?"

Then there were six. All of us - except Devora - convened at Companions & Lovers for drinks or desserts. I had the carrot cake, which had to be sent back because it was decked out in strawberry slices. For real!!! They actually got out a fresh cake for my slice. Kathy had dessert, too, choosing the chocolate torte. Wanna guess what decor it wore? And these weren't even red strawberries, they were those 'white' ones.

"Everyone else had drinks?"

Yep! Elissa had her bay Breeze, Joel had his Old-fashioned, Marcia had a glass of wine, and Sandy got their concoction of a Toasted Almond. She liked it, too!

"What's with the painting? Oh, wait, this is the place with all the odd art, right?"

Right!!! By the time we got around to discussing this one, Kathy and Marcia had left. I said it was a woman wearing a scallop-necked wrap dress that she had open on the left, so that someone kneeling beside her had access to that left breast. What did I think she was so inclined for that kind of action? She'd dyed her coochie bright red to attract lovers! That really cracked them up!

"Oh, my, not even having alcohol and still carrying on like a sailor!"

Seriously, I'd said that to Joel while the other two were at the bathroom and he loved it!!! Then he made me repeat my take on the painting when Elissa and Sandy returned! And they were right: the woman did look like Liza Minelli and she would have been up for that kind of story line for sure! Remember "Cabaret"? Just sayin'!

"Yes, dear. Let's move along to the next locale for you four, shall we?"

Yes, let's! (smile!) Actually, we had a couple of false starts. Joel was the driver and he first took us to Aqua Velva, or whatever it was. Nope, we didn't even park as it clearly had a younger, more pigmented, crowd that we were. On to Steeds-cum-Deb's, to see if they had karaoke! Yeah, the street was packed with cars and the overflow crowd in the front had a strong resemblance to the other crowd. Wow, that place sure had changed!

"Yikes. Sam Johnson and Danny Torres would have been amazed."

No doubt. Joel took us on over to The Palace Diner on Abercorn after that. Coffee and bagels for the two women, french fries and Sweet Potato Pound Cake that I split with Joel. The cake was very interesting. It was kind of like a spice cake, but much milder in flavor. I don't know that I would have it again, but it was fine for a one-time thing. I'd wanted the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, but Joel was very firm in his anti-pineapple stance, so I'd opted for the other. Next time, I'll get the Sam Johnson special for sure!

"Heard."

We stayed there a bit longer than I'd expected. That's because Elissa had to call her son in Italy to make sure he got up and didn't miss his flight to Atlanta. She's going to meet him in the ATL to celebrate their holidays.

"Italy??? How very cool! Is he stationed there?"

Oh, he isn't military. He has a buddy who just got married there. It was one of those 'destination weddings', like cuz'n Jeff had in the Caribbean some few years back. I'd wanted to go, but just didn't have the money. Now, I guess it's just as well, as that marriage didn't last but a year or two.

"That's too bad for him. He's such a sweet guy."

Yes, he is. I look forward to seeing him and my blue-sky cousin next summer. That's when the next trip to St. George Island is scheduled. Fun! Okay, time to wind down!

in defense of keith

My friend Sherry Giddens posted this meme yesterday, cracking wise about how much older Keith Richards looks compared to others in The Rolling Stones and insinuating that he'd had to wait many years for them to come of age.

Timely, right?

After all, I'd just done my little piece on the aging of Michael McKean.

So, I checked to see just how old the ax wielder is.

Holy smokes, he's actually five months younger than Mick Jagger!!!

Mick was 82 in July this year; Keith won't be 82 until December. 

Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, and Brian Jones were all born before them.

That meant Keith was actually the youngest boy in the band back in the day.

And, yet, the man looks rode hard, doesn't he, and has for as long as I can remember.

Now I have a different perspective on his place with them. 

Nice to be able to use my skills as an analytical chemist to clear that up!

(smile!)

musical, concert, musical... all at a cinema!

What a marvelous time I've been having at NCG Cinema this week!

I have been there for three days in a row - that's unprecedented!!!

Monday was just a 'mystery' movie a la Jim Reed's PFS, right?

Tina Tuesday was a double header with Carolyn, which was a great treat!

I'd invited her and Sandy to come see "Hamilton" with me at the matinee... and Carolyn responded to my invite!

Hooray!!!

I've wanted to see this musical for five years.

I know so many of my theatre friends who subscribed to Disney+ that first year of the pandemic, when the filmed Broadway show was released in July of 2020 on that streaming service.

I'm so glad to have seen it on the silver screen!!!

I felt like I was right there at the Richard Rodgers Theatre where the original Broadway cast was filmed over three performances in 2016.

WOW!!!

Lin-Manuel Miranda is so incredibly gifted!!!

He wrote the lyrics, the music, and the book for this historical, modern, musical, about events that actually occurred from 1776 to 1804, when the United States Of America was a brand-new country made up of immigrants from around the world.

How incredible to have finally seen this Tony-winning production as the 250th Anniversary of that start approaches!

My very favorite song was "Hurricane" - that one scene captured beautifully both the fury and the energy that represented Alexander Hamilton.

WOW!!!

Utterly astounding!!!

I could watch that one scene over and over and over and still be captivated.

Carolyn was as taken by the musical as I was.

We both intend to see it again next week!

Meanwhile, we  popped out for some Zaxby's, as it was across the street, then back into the NCG Cinema for a bit of silly fun.

Yes, I'm talkin' 'bout "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues" with those wacky musicians from forty years ago!

 

There's Michael McKean from that 1984 farce, "This Is Spinal Tap", when he was 37 years old.

 

And here he is from his turn as Lenny in "Laverne & Shirley" at 31 yo.

 

Plus, he was that dispicable Area 51 agent, Morris Fletcher, whose body gets switched with that of Fox Mulder.

McKean was 51 years old in that 1998 episode of "The X-Files".

 

And now he's 77, back to being David St. Hubbins, lead singer of the band.

His 78th birthday will be October 17th.

Except for the increased wrinkles of human aging, he really hasn't changed, has he? 

Of course, Christopher Guest is 77, too, while Rob Reiner is 78, and Harry Shearer is the oldest of them all and will be 82 in December.

Yet, when they perform their classics - "Big Bottom" and "(Listen To The) Flower People" and "Stonehenge" - the movie really pops!

I was so amazed how familiar I was with those songs, even though I doubt I've seen the original movie even once in about two decades.

T'was very nice to see, and hear, Sir Paul McCartney (83 yo) and Sir Elton John (78 yo) performing with the band, too.

What a totally twee Tina Tuesday... and for just $12 total!!!

 

Then, today, I was back again at  the NCG for their 'Wicked Wednesday' $5 treat - that 1986 musical that I so love that I've done one of its songs in karaoke on multiple occasions: "Little Shop Of Horrors"!!!

Apparently I share that love with Jimmy Fallon - major coolness!

Plus I've seen - and danced in my seat! - to the live musical versions at least twice during the last decade, including once in a TV show!!!

Yes, I have been well and truly blessed this week by NCG Cinemas - and they have just started two discount movie festivals this week.

Many thanks, y'all!

 

two janes and a june

"Is that some new form of poker with a nontraditional deck?"

Hahahaha! Good one... but, nope! That describes the company I kept tonight.

"Okay, a riddle! Let's see, I know this was Monday, so that's been meaning Music Bingo of late. But the bingo caller is named Jade, not Jane. Isn't that right?"

Absolutely right that her name is Jade. Absolutely wrong, though, on my being at Midtown Sports Grill this evening. Want to try again?

"Hmm... maybe not. This will go a bit faster if you just tell me."

Spoilsport. Fine. I will tell you. I blew off Bingo for the 5-buck "Mystery" at NCG. All I knew was that it was rated PG-13 and a running time of 103 minutes. That meant it wasn't in the horror genre, so that was good enough for me. It turned out to be "Eleanor The Great" and was fabulous, even though it did have me in tears a time or two. That's because the topic was grief over a friend's death, so it had me thinking again of Christa and Barbara and Mister Willie.

"2023 and 2024 have seen some tough losses of friends and family." 

For sure. In that movie tonight, June Squibb played 'Eleanor', a 94-year-old forced to move from Miami back to New York City after the death of her best friend, 'Bessie'. Back in the Big Apple, 'Eleanor' goes to the Jewish Community Center for a class, to appease her daughter, but ends up in a support group for Holocaust survivors... where she shares the many stories from the life of 'Bessie', who was a Holocaust survivor. Later, 'Eleanor' decides to get the Bat Mitzvah she never had and the rabbi assigns her the story of Jacob and Esau. No coincidences, right?

"Wow. That must have gotten some wheels turning in her mind."

Oh, yes. She and the Rabbi had quite a little discussion about deceit and consequences. And do you know how it was that she was assigned that story from the Bible? It all had to do with the date for her Bat Mitzvah. So, the Universe set that up for her. Just like the Universe set me up with a cool odometer reading! Not a palindrome, but a mileage that might have had a pattern: 243024, which could be taken as 24-30-24, or two pair in poker.

"LOL! Yes, dear. So, I take it that the movie had your 'June'. So, where were the others mentioned in your post title?"

Well, that would be Jane Krakowski, the host of "Name That Tune", plus Jane Lynch, the host of "The Weakest Link". The first 'Jane' will be 57 years old next month; the second 'Jane' is already 65 years old, like my brother Smitty, having her birthday just five days after his. I had recorded both shows tonight, as they had a different theme than usual. The first one had two celebrities from "Modern Family" playing for charity; I hadn't watched that show when it was new, but it used to follow the "Two And A Half Men" reruns, so sometimes I tuned in. However, it was the gimmick used for "The Weakest Link" that really got my attention! It reunited Lynch with eight of her castmates from "Glee". Let me state that I didn't regularly watch that show, either, but I had seen a handful of the episodes and was curious to see how the teen actors turned out a decade later.

"I see. And the consensus is...?"

Well, here's the thing: not a single one of those actors was a teen in 2009 when "Glee" began. Not one. They were almost all born in 1986, making them 23-year-olds playing teens. So, now, they're almost all 40-year-olds. It's akin to "The Breakfast Club", in which only Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall were actually teens (they were both 17) playing high school seniors. The other four in that ensemble were 23 and older.

"Well, that's the magic of Hollywood, dear. A little makeup can make up for the years."

Heard. That's the beauty of youTube in a way. There are so many candid videos there, with the people not prettied up, just as they are. Take this one from my first year of teaching full-time at Armstrong. I was the only one in the Chemistry & Physics Department that participated in the Common Read program. That's because I knew all of my students had to read "Waddie Welcome And The Beloved Community", so I did, too. Set right here in Savannah, it followed the story of a man with physical disabilities and his quest to live with family.

"Oh, my!!! I remember doing that video!" 

I was having a discussion with Tom Kohler and Susan... somebody, who were both promoting the book. After talking with me, they asked if they could record me saying what I'd said. Of course I said they could! That was September 6, 2010. Hard to believe that was fifteen years ago.

"I love the title attached to that video: "I Teach The Future". Very cool!"

Very incomplete and out of context. Those were simply the first four words I spoke after giving my name and status at the university. "I teach the future nurses, and respiratory techs, and physical therapists, and dental hygienists, who service the community, who service all of us in the community." That's what the entire line was.

"I still like that title the book folks gave the clip. I also noticed that you mentioned the youth group at Asbury Memorial, as well as the man with spina bifida who attended. What was his name?"

Ron. All I remember is his first name. He moved away and I haven't heard anyone speak of him in probably a decade. Recently, though, I keep thinking about him. I know that's because my first niece is dating a man with spina bifida. Anthony Brooks is her age. I don't recall how old Ron was, but I feel like he was probably in his early 40's, too, like them. Like Ron, Anthony also walks awkwardly and uses a cane. Actually, it isn't walking so much as it is lurching. I have to wonder if it's as painful as it looks like it would be.

"Well, perhaps you should ask him the next time you see him. I imagine the girls have all already done that."

You're likely right. Yes, I'll do that. Now, time to wind down. 'night, dear. 

 

porch party at the library!

"What?! You can't be all loud like that at the library!!"

Yes, I can! This is National Library Card Month and the local libraries have embraced the idea of getting folks down there by letting them get down! Last week, the music was jazz from the Equinox Orchestra at the Bull Street Library. I thought about going, but just didn't want the downtown parking hassle, so I made other plans. Today, with the band called Groove Eclectic, I knew I'd be dancing, dancing, dancing!!! And I was, too!!!

"Hey, that looks like a yard, not a porch. Where were you?"

That's the large, grassy expanse between the Southwest Chatham Library and the Savannah VA Center. That's were the four-piece band set up, with lots of folks all around with their picnic blankets and camp chairs. It was great! People of all ages were there!!! Some others were dancing, but they were mostly old-er, like me. You know, beyond caring what others might think. (smile!)

"What did you say that band was called? They look like Nickel Bag of Funk!"

That's because they are!!! They use different names depending on how many of the band members are doing the gig. You know, like The Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love do, depending on whether the brass section is present or not. Not that it matters, as the singer still does the same songs! This prevening, they started off with "Lovely Day" on this blue-sky day beneath the leaping greenly spirits of trees... yes, e.e. cummings would have been elated! That song started my toes tapping and I kept right on dancing through "I Want It That Way" and "Every Little Step"... whew! Then I sat the next one out, but ended up dancing in my seat for "Moves Like Jagger" - I love that song!

"Very nice mix of tunes they have in their repertoire!"

You better believe it! I went over to the library stand and picked up some book marks and pins and stickers for my greats, but then I had to get back to dancing. They were doing a song that I knew was a Lizzo tune: "About Damn Time". I just saw her with Kelly Clarkson in "Songs & Stories" and she's quite a sassy lass! I like her! So did the old-er woman I was dancing near! As long as I was dancing, she did, too!!! Very nice!

"How do you know she was only dancing when you did?"

Well, when I went and sat out a couple of songs, she did, too. Then, when I returned to dancing to the Lizzo song, she got up and danced, too! She stayed up with me, too, while her friend sat and listened to the music. We all clapped together for the gospel tune - "I Came To Clap" - then she and I started dancing again for the funky "This Is How We Do It"! After that came Michael Jackson's "Rock With You" - very nice! I reminded the woman that he would have been 67 years old this year, just like me. She was surprised to think of him as that age!

"Sure. He's been gone 16 years, just like Sam Johnson and Daddy. Frozen at that last age. Michael Jackson was almost 51 when he died."

Yeah, I know. Back to the tunes! They finished up with one for one of their fans: "Killing Me Softly With His Song". Really well done! By that time, the sun was definitely on its way to sunset. Those days of light until 9 PM are two months gone! 

"Yeah, I've noticed the shortening of the days."

Me, too. The band had been talking about dinner and I was all prepared for that! I brought the Panera gift card that Penny gave me and stopped in there. Moments later, I was on the way home with the Italian Summer Salad, a bag of chips, and an ice-cold bottle of water. That last was opened before I even left the restaurant! All that dancing worked up a thirst!!!

"Hahahaha! I'm sure it did! I'm so glad you had a good time tonight! You need to go out dancing more often!"

I do, I definitely do! That's why I get up and dance to some of the tunes during Music Bingo on Mondays. This week, Elissa even danced a little, too! (smile!)

a*list ohm with turtles

 

This week of dances were all ones I knew.

Friday was "Weapons", for a bit of mystery.

Monday found me with "The Bad Guys2" in their travels to Egypt and outer space.

Wednesday was a new one, "Light Of The World", but its story was one I've known most of my life.

Then, today, Carolyn and I finally got "Caught Stealing" seen again - and yes, I just may be getting a crush on Austin Butler!

To quote a line he says to his girlfriend, "I'm sexy even when I don't say anything" - to which she replied, "Then shut up!"

Good one!!!

No meal with her this time, though.

I had a Naturalist 101 lecture at OHM Savannah!

Hooray!

I need to remember to get there a bit earlier, so I can chat with more of the folks who come for these ocean-themed talks.

"Conserving Loggerhead Sea Turtles" had drawn me in, as it had the full room, plus whoever was tuned in online at facebook. 

I sat in the very front row, which had been left empty.

Guess that was for me!

(smile!)

The talk was given by Kristen Zemaitis of the Caretta Research Project., an organization that started near the same time that I was in the STERI project my junior year of high school.

As I told her afterward, both that science program I was in, plus the sea turtle research, had me thinking of a career in marine science... but I chose the Navy first... then I chose chemistry once I finally went to college.

Now, I'm back to looking at the ocean and its life again.

(smile!)

I made sure to grab some swag for my great-nieces and great-nephews.

One never knows where a spark might lead to a fire!

meals and movies, with some free!

Last Friday, both the dinner & the movie were free!

Remember, I had a free 4th Club sandwich coming to me for buying three during Jason's Deli's "Club Club" promotion?

Naturally, I chose the California Club!

That one comes with tortilla chips and salsa as the free side - and I gotta have that on Friday!

Then I bopped over to AMC with my A*List and watched "Weapons" again.

That truly has a good story!

On Tuesday, I attended "The Celebration of Life of Dr. Gordon Baker" at Asbury Memorial Church.

That made my second trip there this week, as I went Sunday for Communion and Rev. Billy's sermon about fried chicken and mangoes, plus BIG Coffee Hour - such a good luncheon, with leftover chicken and crumb cake for breakfast Monday!

Back to Tuesday... I had not known Gordon, but I knew his partner, Tom Lewis, so that's why I went.

I'm glad I did, as I learned what Gordon did for libraries all over the southeast.

All of his actions were steeped in the deep sense of noblesse oblige in his veins.

That also carried over to this: a catered luncheon from The Pirate's House for all who came today.

Fried chicken for the second time this week!!!

I do believe Gordon and I would have been friends.

I'm thinking he would have enjoyed this movie I watched at NCG Cinema.

"Splitsville" was all about the foibles of two married men and their wives, with a touch of malarkey in the form of frequent frontal male nudity - hilarious!

It was obviously a labor of love for Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin, who both wrote and starred in it.

Well worth the $6 paid!

Then, tonight, I had dinner & a movie again, though not in that order.

First came the free A*List movie, "Light Of The World", that I thought might have been drawn by AI.

Nope, it was drawn by human hands, with no digital enhancements, hence the odd-looking feet and hands.

That gave it the "children's storybook come to life" feel that the writers wanted.

Success!

Then I swept into Jason's Deli for dinner and more, for $15.14 - what a deal!

Yes, they offered me two Kids Meals for 99 cents apiece, so I jumped all over it.

The Mesa Chicken Salad was tonight's, the pizza will be two breakfasts, and the Chicken Alfredo Pasta is definitely a future dinner! 

While I waited there, I enjoyed this serene view.

Rather looks like a painting, doesn't it?

(smile!)

does this look normal to you?

Tell me true: do these temperatures look right for this time of year?

I mean, do they look normal for this latitude?

I've been concerned that the moderate highs, only in the low to mid-80's, might bode a colder winter than normal.

Perhaps they do.

When I looked back to this same time last year, I see the same trend.

That WSAV Weather Song became very flat and monotone when it settled into these same temperatures of 81 F to 85 F during the day.

What concerns me, though, are the lows that Savannah is having this time around.

Those are in the 60's this week.

Last year, the lows were still in the 70's, as they should be.

I do hope we won't have snow again this winter.

I'll have to move farther south if that happens.

for love of a great-uncle

 

There they stand, with a cardboard cutout of their Great-Uncle.

The diminutive man had been a genius when it came to getting movies financed after the silent film era had passed and the more expensive 'talkies' entered.

Producers' names aren't usually what I notice in movie credits, so it was no surprise to me that I'd never heard of Edward Small.

These three relatives - Roy Cranman, the great-nephew; Karen Botnick Paz, Roy's wife; and Michelle "Shellie" Schmals, the third cousin - are out to make their Great-Uncle better known to those who love film.

That's why they'd set up this viewing of "Solomon And Sheba" at the Savannah JEA, posting news of the event on fb all this past week.

I'd asked my amigas to come with me, but only Carolyn did, getting there in plenty of time to stay dry on what became a very stormy Sunday afternoon.

Honestly, the crashing of the thunder outside was a a perfect counterpoint for all the clashing of swords and heated sexual overtones in this 1959 movie!!!

Carolyn actually remembered seeing the movie when it first came out in the cinema!

She was about 13 years old and was captivated by the racy costumes that Gina Lollobrigita wore, by the huge battle scenes waged between 'Solomon' and his brother, 'Adonijah', for the title of 'King of Israel', and by the saucy dances performed by the pagan 'Queen of Sheba' and her people - wow!!!

I know I would have been just as mesmerized if I'd seen it as a teen!

As it was, it was a fabulous retelling of a Biblical tale, with a large dose of literary license and a 39-year-old Yul Brynner, with a marvelous head of hair, as 'Solomon'!

Carolyn and I very much enjoyed the pre-film and post-film talks, too, with Roy telling stories about his Great-Uncle Eddie - very cool!

 

Then, as the rain had passed, we adjourned to Chili's for dinner and talk.

She loves their menu as much as I do, especially those 3-for-me combos!

She had the Ole-Timer Burger, we both shared the chips and salsa, and I took most of that Shrimp Cajun Pasta home for another meal.

She ate every bit of hers!

And she must have thanked me three times for inviting her to come out to that movie!

I'm so glad she enjoyed it, too!

Dinner and a movie - always better with a friend! 

(smile!)

fall flowers for the barry family

 

I'd gone out to Greenwich after the musical, drawn there.

That's when I noticed the rutted dirt road that ran by the lot I always visited.

In fact, there was a "Do Not Enter" sign on it that I had ignored.

But I had persevered in my determination to reach my goal.

That's when I saw the tattered remnants of the bouquet I last placed there.

Oh, that just would not do.

 

Today, after church at Asbury Memorial, I again drove to Greenwich.

Again I ignored the sign that bade me to stay off that road.

I had three bright bouquets that needed to be placed, and place them I did.

Ordinarily, I would have given one to Mama, then given the other two to Ronnie and Jean Marie.

This time was different.

Fall was about to begin and Mama liked that season.

Fall was the lead-in to all her favorite holidays.

That's why all three bunches of autumnal orange stayed where she was.

It very much brightened up the Barry lot!

(smile!) 

for love of a great-aunt

"Does that mean some of the little blondes in Hinesville have sent postcards to you?"

 

Nope, not yet. I know it sometimes takes a while for their parents to get them into the mail, even though I did make sure to stamp and address them. Want to guess again?

 

"Well, I know you went to a new musical today..."

 

There ya go! Actually, I was incorrect on that. I thought the Savannah Musical Theatre Festival events were all new musicals, but that wasn't quite right. In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't have the money for the entire 3-day, 5-event schedule. These were all staged readings of musicals in the developmental process. That means no set design, no costumes, and no props. Well, I take that back. The one I attended did make use of a child's noise-maker that mooed like a cow.

 

"Did you say "mooed"? Like, bovine noises?"

 

That's right, and it was pretty funny, though it wasn't intended to be. "The Top Hand Of Lone Tree Ranch" is a western musical, based on the 1960 book of the same title. It was the story of a boy living with his older sister and their grandpa while the parents were at a hospital for the dad's recovery from an accident. James Venhaus, the playwright, chose the book because his Great-Aunt Anne Pence Davis wrote it. My guess is she gave him the book as a boy, much as I have done for my great-nieces and great-nephews with my pumpkin book.

 

"Oh, yeah, I remember that book!"

 

I had such fun writing that... but, I digress. As I said, this was a bare-bones production, with the primary goal being to get audience feedback after. I'll say this: the playwright was kept busy writing suggestions most of the hour of that "talk back" session. That's him on the far right. He teaches at Savannah Country Day, which is where Gabriella Galoni and Emmett Witchel attend. Those two kids were 'Janie' - the older sister - and 'Paddy', the boy. 

 

"They're over on the left, right? To either side of the older guy that must be the grandpa? And isn't that Justice of the Savannah Music Festival by them?"

 

Yes, yes, and yes. Justice was just there as the moderator of the "talk back". 'Grandpa' was read, and sung, by Gary David Keast, a newcomer to me. Then there's Rayshawn Roberts who's done a lot of works with the SavChildTh in the past. He was the only one with three roles! He had 'Mr. Mitchell', the rancher. Then he did 'the Shopkeeper', and finished up as the 'Dad'. Standing next to him in this scene was Laura Wild, as 'Mom', but she also played 'the Shopkeeper's Wife' in the scene where 'Paddy' comes in to buy some sweet feed for the young calf left behind accidentally by 'Mr. Mitchell'. It really is a sweet tale about a boy learning the value of being honest, applicable as much now as it was back then in the 1950's in rural Texas.

 

"Most excellent! And who was the woman in the flowered dress?"

 

That's Luisa Nolasco. She was the narrator and also operated the 'moo' toy. She's been in several of the SavStageCo's works the last few years.

 

"Well, did you like it???"

 

I very much did! I just wish I had read more on Savannah Repertory Theatre's website so I would have been better prepared for what I was getting. At least they had a variety of ticket options for this! I chose the $10 Community Ticket, as it was considerably less than the $27 Senior/Military Ticket. I believe that all the tickets should have been $10, as this was not yet a finished work, but I also understand that they had to pay for that space at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center.

 

"What a great break on the tickets! And how nice to have seen something that was a different genre than many musicals!"

 

For sure! This has been quite a Western-themed day for me! Before I came to this, I was on fb and my friend Sherry Giddens had posted a Western joke! "If you talk to a cow while you're milking it you will get more milk. It's the old in one ear and out the udder!" I proceeded to share that with lots of folks right then and there! My youngest brother, Tony, even sent me a chemistry joke meme in return!!!

 

"Hahahaha! Too bad there's no "J" on the Periodic Table!"

 

Hey, I was just happy that he thought of me when he saw that! I was not about to rain on his parade. It's not like he designed that meme. He just found it and sent it my way!

 

"What about the new elements that filled in the 7th Period? No "J" in them?"

 

Nope, nary a one had a "J". Very impressive to see that all filled in, isn't it? That's been since late January of this year. So, now there's talk of creating and filling in an 8th Period. Of course, none of those elements exist outside a lab, and then their presence is so brief that verifying them is difficult. Still, it brings to mind that conversation I had with Cedric years ago, doesn't it?

 

"Most def it does! Science has progressed so quickly the last few decades!"

 

Yes, it has. Life in general has sped up so much since the cellphone age began. Today has been a bit of a respite to a slower pace. For instance, this evening I watched "Westward The Women", a 1951 Western I spotted on GritTV and taped a day or so ago. I'm glad I did! Talk about a slower pace... it took that wagon train several months to go from Chicago to a small mining town in California! Such a good movie!

 

"I'm glad you've enjoyed your step back in time today! That's been a nice break from the usual, hasn't it, dear?"

 

It has been, it truly has. 

(smile!)